Milanesa is a South and Central American dish made with a thin cutlet of meat, usually beef, dipped in egg, coated in breadcrumbs and lightly fried or baked. It can be served alone or as a sandwich. The dish originated from the traditional Milanese dish cotoletta alla milanese and was brought to South and Central America by European immigrants. It can be flavored with seasonings and grated cheese and served with mashed potatoes or French fries.
Milanesa is a South and Central American dish that can be prepared and served in a variety of ways. In general, start with a fairly thin cutlet of meat, often beef, although chicken and veal can also be used. This cutlet is dipped in egg, topped with breadcrumbs which can be flavored with seasonings and grated cheese, and then lightly fried or baked. Milanesa can be served on its own as a stand-alone dish, or it can be topped with melted cheese and then placed on a bun to create a sandwich.
The name “milanesa” comes from the traditional Milanese dish known as cotoletta alla milanese, which is a veal cutlet that is breaded and lightly fried in butter. Immigrants from Europe brought this dish, and similar dishes such as Wiener schnitzel, to South and Central America. While the original schnitzel was typically made with veal, chefs in countries like Argentina typically prefer to use beef, although chicken and veal are also used. Milanesa starts with fairly thin beef steaks, although thicker beef steaks can be cut or pounded thinner.
This beef is usually coated in egg and then dredged in breadcrumbs; some recipes may also call for flour, although fresh breadcrumbs will usually suffice. These breadcrumbs are often mixed with grated Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs such as parsley, salt, pepper, and minced garlic. The milanesa is then pan-fried or pan-fried, usually in a little oil, although butter may be used. Some recipes may call for cooking the milanesa in an oven, rather than frying it, and this is often done on a baking sheet or skillet lightly brushed with oil.
Once cooked, milanesa can be served on its own, often with mashed potatoes or French fries. A popular variant of this dish is served with sirloin steak cooked with slices of mozzarella, sometimes also with a slice of ham. The milanesa is then placed under a grill until the cheese melts; this can then be served on a platter or it can be served on a bun as a sandwich. This preparation is typically referred to as alla napolitana, which refers to the name of the restaurant that first prepared it this way, rather than Neapolitan cuisine.
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